In 2022, ZMT has been revising and developing the focus of its gender equality work, including a new Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP@ZMT), which meets the criteria of a gender equality plan. A short version of the GEAP is available here (eng), while we are happy to provide the full 18-page-report (ger) upon request - just email us.

This fresh push in gender equality work will strengthen equal opportunities, diversity, and family-friendliness at the Institute, and is supported and driven by the institutional changes taking place. At the same time, our gender equality work opposes all forms of discrimination and initiates measures that counteract discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, cultural or social background and enable a respectful everyday life at the Institute for everyone. ZMT has great interest in a diverse and qualified workforce.

On the way towards eliminating structural imbalances, GEAP@ZMT is thus an essential instrument for personnel planning and development. Its aim is to promote and sustainably ensure the equality of people of all genders at ZMT, and to counteract the prevailing under-representation of women, especially in the scientific field. To this end, goals are formulated in GEAP@ZMT, corresponding measures for all ZMT employees are agreed upon, and reviewed, updated and adjusted annually. The implementation of GEAP@ZMT as an overall concept is a special commitment and obligation of the Institute's leadership and management. It is the guiding principle of management and is applied in personnel recruitment and development stretgies, as well as in the design of working conditions and institutional culture.

The GEAP@ZMT realizes the Implementation Agreement on Gender Equality, the Gender Equality Standards at the Institutes of the Leibniz Association, the Guiding Principles for our Actions in the Leibniz Association, and the DFG's Research-Oriented Gender Equality Standards. The plan thus applies to all employees of the ZMT, including those in thrid-party-funded positions and scholarship holders. The ultimate goal is to increase the visibility of women in science and technology, increase the number of male employees in ZMT's science-supporting sections, and to enable equal career opportunities for people of all genders at the institute, which also means an 'attentive' staff selection process, and reconciling science and private caring responsibilities. To this end, the ZMT has been a certified member of the Work and Family Audit since October 2018, signed the Diversity Charter on 3 March 2022, and also committed in March 2022 to implementing the Guidelines to ensure good scientific practice (based on DFG standards) in everyday life at the ZMT. Since the end of 2021, a Guideline on the use of diversity-sensitive language forms also part of the equality work, supported by all members of the ZMT family. With the help of this multifaceted support, the gender equality work at ZMT is entering the next phase of institutional development with a new impetus.